Flawed Reflections
by Gothic Revival
Summary: A frantic battle ends, and Wufei wakes up in another world, where every one is their opposite. And where people who *should* be dead are *very* much alive.
1. Prologue

Flawed Reflections (Prologue)  
  
by Mrs Chang  
  
Warnings: Angst, AU, Murder, Shonen-ai, Role Reversing, and slight bastardization of some characters  
  
Pairings: 2x1, 4x3, 5x?, 6x9, 13x11  
  
Disclaimer: The Author does not own Gundam Wing, nor any characters therein. This is a work of fiction, and is not written for profit.  
  
Author's Notes: Well, here it is... the beginning of my AU fic. This fic is inspired, in part, by Madam Hyrda's fic "Double Vision". I've tried to write a story that gives the reader an idea of what some of the Gundam Wing characters would be like if the roles were reversed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I can't believe there are so many," crackled Duo's voice over the intercom.  
  
"They must have been expecting us," answered Wufei, who was clearly angry beyond his typical standards. "Less talking, more fighting, please."  
  
The battle raged on, and there seemed no end to the Leos they battled. As soon as one was destroyed, another took its place. Even Heero was beginning to fatigue from the battle.  
  
Wufei was concentrating so hard on the Leo before him that he didn't see the Aries approach from behind and fire, aiming for the weakened area on the Gundam's armor. By the time he realized what was happening, Wufei slammed into the slide of the cockpit as a result of the tremendous force of the blow only second before the Gundam hit the ground with a resounding crash. A white-hot pain shot through Wufei's body as he slumped against the vidscreen of the cockpit.  
  
The black-haired pilot heard Duo's frantic voice calling to him over the intercom, and then everything faded into black...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Pain.  
  
Light.  
  
Noise.  
  
Muddled thoughts limped their way through Wufei's mind as he came to. It hurt to move, to breathe, even. Cautiously opening his eyes, Wufei found that he was no longer in the semi-darkness of Shenlong's cockpit, but rather the blinding light of a summer day.  
  
Odd. It had been raining during the battle...  
  
He was laying on the ground, on his stomach. That much, he was sure of. Groaning, he tried to roll over, only to be jolted by the white-hot pain that shot through his leg. He definately wasn't going anywhere on his own *any* time soon.  
  
The noise which had roused him was getting louder. Someone was coming his way. Correction: a lot of someones. Ever so slowly turning his head, Wufei looked in the direction from which the sound was coming. What he saw was truly odd.  
  
Drawing ever nearer to him was a group of people on horseback. He guessed there were maybe 10 riders, all of whom were in centuries-old garb. Wufei decided that either someone was playing a very strange joke, or he was hallucinating.  
  
The group was now only yards from him. One of the first riders, whom, Wufei noted, possessed white, feathery wings, seem to notice Wufei and remark to one of his companions about his presence. The group halted, and the winged-one dismounted, and then assisted the other, a woman, as she dismounted as well.  
  
The woman stepped hastily toward him, while the other was rather cautious in his approach. Wufei thought he caught a glimpse of a chestnut braid before fatigue forced him to close his eyes. /Duo?/ he wondered.  
  
The woman knelt next to Wufei and looked him over; looking for injuries, no doubt. Wufei groaned a little; a dull ache was beginning to creep into him. The black-haired pilot felt a hand on his cheek.  
  
"Don't move," said the woman. "You're badly injured."  
  
Through sheer will-power, Wufei managed to open his eyes. The woman addressing him looked down at him with gentle, compassionate eyes as dark as his own. Her hair, a lustrous black, was pulled away from her face.  
  
A thought so shocking that it made Wufei's head hurt came rushing into his mind.  
  
/Meiran? Alive?!/  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	2. Flawed Reflections (Part 1)

Flawed Reflections (Part 1)  
  
by Mrs Chang  
  
Warnings: Angst, AU, Murder, Shonen-ai, Role Reversing, and slight bastardization of some characters  
  
Pairings: 2x1, 4x3, 5x?, 6x9, 13x11  
  
Disclaimer: The Author does not own Gundam Wing, nor any characters therein. This is a work of fiction, and is not written for profit.  
  
Author's Notes: Well, you've actually come back for more! That's a good sign, right??? For those of you who were *totally* confused by the prologue, this should shine some light on the inconsistencies and vague references to characters who should be dead.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
/Meiran? Alive?!/  
  
Wufei squinted in the bright light in an effort to get a closer look at her. The same eyes, the same skin, the same lips; oh yes, this was indeed Meiran.  
  
/Then I suppose I'm dead,/ thought Wufei. /I must be./  
  
But the pain when he once again attempted to move made it clear beyond denial that he was very much alive.   
  
"I told you, don't move." The girl's voice was stern, but gentle.  
  
"Where am I?" Wufei managed to slur out. "And who are you?" It was best, he figured, to be sure that she was who he thought she was.  
  
"You're in the Kingdom of Sank, and my name is Meiran," said the girl, smiling a little. "And this" - she pointed at the angelic youth behind her - "is Duo."  
  
Wufei looked up at the brown-haired boy and was a bit startled by what he saw. The same amethyst eyes, only dull; lifeless, really. A look Wufei had only ever seen in the eyes of another of his comrades: Heero.  
  
"Milady," said Duo with a cold, emotionless voice, "it would be wise for us to hurry along our way."  
  
Meiran nodded. "Indeed." Then, to Wufei, "You are coming with us. You need medical care."  
  
Wufei could not have protested, even if he had wished to. He watched as Meiran mounted the horse and then felt himself being lifted up off the ground and placed behind her on the saddle. Wufei was half asleep, leaning against her, before the group had even set out again.  
  
The last thing Wufei saw before succumbing to his fatigue was a huge castle in the distance.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Wufei awoke sometimes later, curled up on a bed. It still hurt to move, but not as badly as it had before. Meiran entered the room moments later, a tray in her hands.  
  
She set the tray down on the table near the bed and sat down on a near-by chair. "Feeling any better?" she asked when she saw that Wufei was awake.  
  
Wufei nodded and said, "I little."  
  
"Your leg's rather badly injured. You're fortunate, however; it isn't broken," she answered with a smile. "How *did* you come to be lying on the side of the road, anyway?"  
  
Wufei pondered that for a moment, and then answered truthfully, "I'm not really sure, myself."  
  
Meiran handed Wufei a small, ornately carved glass from the tray she had brought, and told him, "Drink this. It'll wake you up a bit."  
  
Wufei took a cautious sip, and realized that it was, indeed, coffee! Wufei quickly finished the rest of the hot black liquid, and then gave the glass back to Meiran. "Thanks," he said appreciatively.  
  
Meiran flashed a winning smile and set the glass back down on the tray. "What did you say your name is?" she asked.  
  
"I didn't say," Wufei answered, trying not to sound contrite. "My name is Wufei."  
  
Meiran shifted a little in her seat, and said, "Where *are* you from?"  
  
Wufei paused for a moment. "Very far from here. That's for sure."  
  
Meiran shrugged. That was enough for her.  
  
"You said I am in the kingdom of Sank," Wufei began. "Who is the present ruler?"  
  
"You truly must be from a far away land to have not heard of King Trieze of Sank."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  



	3. Flawed Reflections (Part 2)

Flawed Reflections  
Part 2  
  
By Mrs Chang  
  
Warnings: Angst, AU, Murder, Shonen-ai, Role Reversing, and slight bastardization of some characters  
  
Pairings: 2x1, 4x3, 5x?, 6x9, 13x11  
  
Disclaimer: The Author does not own Gundam Wing, nor any characters therein. This is a work of fiction, and is not written for profit.  
  
Author's Notes: Well, part 2 is complete! And here it is... Wufei gets a little history lesson...! (And man, this chapter is kinda long...)  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"You truly must be from a far away land to have not heard of King Trieze of Sank."  
  
That jarred Wufei a bit... Actually, it nearly knocked him off the bed. Sank's ruler was traditionally a Peacecraft, not a Khushrenada. And certainly not *Trieze* Khushrenada!  
  
"I'm afraid you're right," he said when he regained is words. "Would you care to tell me about him?" After all, Wufei figured, it was probably not a bad idea to find out as much as he could about... wherever this place was.  
  
Meiran smiled. "It is a long tale, but I suppose you are a captive audience, are you not?"  
  
Wufei nodded.  
  
"First, you should know, that this land is like no other. There is magic here. Strong, rampant magic. The flora, the fauna, everything is manifested with magical properties.  
  
"It began centuries ago. The dominant races in these parts were what are known as 'magical creatures'. Centaurs, chimiras, harpies, and the like. This land was uncharted wilderness.  
  
"The only humanoid populations were far east of this. But soon, the increasing population forced the three humanoid races - angels, demons, and humans - to move westward, into this land."  
  
Meiran paused for a moment, as if to let Wufei digest this information. It was quite a lot to handle. Angels? Demons? She spoke of these as if they were commonplace...  
  
"The demons and the angels divided the land between themselves, each ruling half. Humans were content to live in both lands; the demons and the angels both welcomed them. For though the two winged species were great warriors, poets, and historians, the humans were superior in the arts, and in agriculture. A strong alliance was formed between the 2 kingdoms.  
  
"But things did not stay that way. The demon queen, Alexandra, and angel king, Jason, began a love-affair, and conceived a child. Alexandra gave birth to the baby, a girl. But the Jason, a selfish man, saw that the child would be his undoing, and rebuked Alexandra, and the infant child.  
  
"Now, Alexandra had been blinded to Jason's cruelty by her misguided infatuation with him. But his betrayal brought everything into harsh clarity. She went to her husband, the kind and gentle King Darius, and confessed all that had been done. She knew that her sins were punishable by death, but she pleaded for the child's life."  
  
She paused. By now, Wufei was enraptured by her tale, and he urged her to continue.  
  
"Darius was a forgiving man. He spared the queen, for he loved her dearly, and vowed to protect the child, and even raise it as his own.  
  
"But, inwardly, Alexandra was still filled with anger with Jason, who had so cruely betrayed her. And so she planned vengeance against him. She donned beggar woman's clothes over her queenly robes and wore a hooded cloak. Taking the child, she rode to the Angel kingdom and snuck into the castle; into the king's court, even.  
  
"And there, before all the angelic nobility, she threw back her hood, and in a voice at once regal and sneering, she presented the child and cried, "And here, oh king of angels, is your half-breed bastard child!"  
  
Just then, the door flew open. Standing in the doorway, the brown haired boy's emerald eyes glittered with a love of life. His rather lop-sided hair did nothing to hide his broad smile. "Good morning, Princess," he said cheerfully. "I've brought some clean clothing for your guest."  
  
Meiran smiled and rose from her seat to accept the folded garments. "Thank you, Nanashi," she said.  
  
/Not Trowa, too!/ thought Wufei.  
  
Nanashi turned to go, but before he could, Meiran said, "And don't forget, Nanashi. The journey to the South villiage is tomorrow."  
  
Trowa, or rather, Nanashi, turned, and Wufei saw his eyes light up. Whatever was waiting in the South Villiage, Trowa sure was excited about it.  
  
The cheerful boy turned and exited, leaving Meiran and Wufei once again alone. The black haired girl set the clothing down on the foot of the bed and then returned her attention to Wufei.  
  
"Continue your story?" he asked.  
  
She nodded. "There is still much to tell, though."  
  
"That's alright," Wufei answered, "I don't mind at all."  
  
"In that case," said she as she took her place once again in the chair, "Now, where were we?"  
  
"The child."  
  
"Oh, yes. That's right. The queen escaped," she began again, "by some miracle, and fled to demon lands. Jason, humiliate and enraged, declared war upon the demons; his wounded pride was all he was thinking of.  
  
"Darius, who - as I said - was a kind, gentle man, knew there was no reasoning with Jason. Regretfully, he went to war against his long-time ally.  
  
"Now, both Darius and Jason had several children, the eldest of both families sons. The two had been good friends, but when the war began, they had no choice but to take sides with their respective fathers.  
  
"The war was long; it lasted for years. The streets of the border cities ran red with blood. The demon forces were gaining ground; soon, the army and their king were launching a siege on the angel castle.  
  
"Darius led the entering of the angel castle, and he and Jason battled. Blade to blade, skill to skill, they fought; Darius emerged victorious. Some say Prince Zechs, Jason's son, witnessed his father's death, but I cannot say for sure.  
  
"But I do know that Lily, Jason's queen was there. So overwhelmed with rage was she that she took up Jason's sword and stabbed Darius when he turned away. And so both the kings were dead.  
  
"Queen Lily was not a heartless woman, and when she saw what she had done, and what had become of her husband, she killed herself with the blade that had claimed Darius and Jason's life.  
  
"When the fallen king's sons learned of what had happened, they knew they had no choice but to take up their father's mantle's as king. Zechs, hungry for blood at the death of his parents, was more than pleased to go after Trieze. Trieze, still counting Zechs as a friend, was less willing, but saw there was no choice.  
  
"On the hills surrounding the castle, the princes, Zechs of the angels and Trieze of the demons, faced off. The fought long, but as the battle raged on, it was clear that Trieze, like his father, would be victorious.  
  
"But he spared Zechs. He could not bring himself to kill the man. And so Zechs fled, with his angel forces, to the far edge of his kingdom.  
  
Wufei was, once again enraptured.  
  
"And so, Trieze assumed the throne. His mother still lives, and is his advisor. Queen emeritus Alexandra is most kind, as his her son. And not all the angels are bad. Duo, for example, is rabidly loyal to Trieze."  
  
"And what became of the child?" asked Wufei.  
  
"Queen emeritus Lily and Kind Trieze followed Darius's wishes, and raised the girl as a member of the royal family. She was taught all the things a princess should learn, and Trieze taught her to fight with dozens of different weapons.  
  
"His Excellency is quite protective of her. He loves her as a sister."  
  
"What is her name?" asked Wufei, his curiosity getting the best of him.  
  
The girl smiled. "Meiran." 


	4. Flawed Reflections (Part 3)

"Flawed Reflections (Part 3)  
by Mrs Chang  
  
Warnings: Angst, AU, Murder, Shonen-ai, Role Reversing, and slight bastardization of some characters  
  
Pairings: 2x1, 4x3, 6x9, 13x11  
  
Disclaimer: The Author does not own Gundam Wing, nor any characters therein. This is a work of fiction, and is not written for profit.  
  
Author's Notes: I noted that in prior installments, I neglected to credit the inspiration for this fic. The magical aspects of this work are based very much on the Xanth Chronicles, by Piers Anthony. Thank you, Mr. Anthony, for the great books, and the inspiration, as well!  
  
And a thank you to everyone who's given my fic such strong reviews...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The girl smiled. "Meiran."  
  
Wufei's evey widened. "You...?" he asked.  
  
Meiran nodded. "Yes, I am the one who caused all this. I'm the only demon-angel crossbreed in written history."  
  
"So... you are both Trieze and Zechs's half sister?"  
  
"Yes," she said, her eyes darkening momentarilly.  
  
"I'm sorry..." said Wufei, noting her change in mood. "Did I say something to offend you?"  
  
"No," said Meiran. "I simple do not like discussing Zechs."  
  
"Oh... again, I'm sorry."  
  
"I need to go do a few things. I'll return soon. Change your clothing, and get up and around while I'm gone," she said as she rose from her chair and turned to go. "No one should bother you, for now at least."  
  
"May I ask you one more thing?" said Wufei.  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Why don't you have wings?"  
  
"Angels and demon's wings develope over a 3-week period, after our fifteenth birthday. My birthday is a week away." Giving Wufei a final smile, she turned and exited.  
  
When she was gone, Wufei rose from the bed and retrieved the garments left for him. They were similar to what he was wearing now, though black, instead of white.  
  
He changed quickly, but couldn't help but feel a bit odd in the clothing. /Then again,/ he mused, /it seems *everything* here is strange.../  
  
More than strange: it was downright bizare. Everyone he encountered seemed, well, backwards.  
  
Duo, who oft called himself Shinigami, was as quite and stoic as Heero... and an angel, too boot.   
  
Trowa was acting more like *Quatre* than himself... cheerful, talkative.  
  
Trieze seemed... well, Wufei didn't know *that* much about Trieze to begin with...  
  
And as for Meiran... well, she was everything Wufei had *wished* she would have been... And that left him even more unsettled. And she was a princess, no less.  
  
But regardless, these were clearly *not* the people he knew, or they surely would have recognized him. And if they weren't the real thing, who were they?  
  
Better yet, where was he?!  
  
These thoughts ran rampant through Wufei's mind, and the headache that ensued reminded him that he was not fully reconvered. He sat down on the edge of the bed, and massaged his temples in an effort to soothe the dull ache in his head.  
  
Suddenly, a knock on the large wooden door shattered his train of thought. He walked over and opened it, allowing Meiran, now accompanied by angel-Duo, inside.  
  
Duo, looking as grim as ever, stood always respectfully behind Meiran. The black-haired girl smiled. "If you'll come with us, Wufei," she said, "Trieze would like to meet with you."  
  
"Alright," he said, try to erase the hesitance from his mind as he answered. "I'm coming."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
As the group of three traversed the maze of corridors, Wufei took an opportunity to look around. The halls they traveled were stone, with high, vaulted ceilings. The only source of light were the torches mounted on the walls every few feet. Even then, it was a dark and dismal journey.  
  
Meiran came to a stop in front of a large wooden door. Grabbing the iron handle and giving a good yank, she pulled the door open; the old hinges squeeked a bit.  
  
On the other side of the door was a large room. Rows and rows of shelves lined the walls, and a table in the middle was piled high with more books. The room was better lit than the corridors.  
  
Meiran, casually taking his hand, led him inside. Once he had entered, Wufei saw the large chair in the corner - not to mention its occupant. There, in all his refined finesse, sat Trieze Khushrenada. With the quite noticeable addition of large, black leathery wings. Folded behind him as they were, they could almost be mistaken for an oppulent cape.  
  
Looking up from the large book in his hands, Trieze smiled warmly at the sight of Meiran. "Hello, sister mine," he said in a rich baritone.  
  
"Good morning, Trieze," the young girl said with a smile to match her half brother's.  
  
"And this must be your guest," the winged man said as he rose from his seat, his gaze now on Wufei. "My name is Trieze Khushrenada," he said, offering Wufei his hand.  
  
"My name is Wufei," said the dark haired boy as he took Trieze's hand and shook it.  
  
"An interesting name... You're not from this region, are you?"  
  
Wufei shook his head. "No... I'm not from around here at all."  
  
The warm smile on Trieze's face never faltered. "Well, wherever you may be from, you are welcome here.  
  
"I do, however, fear," he said after a pause, "that this is not the best of times for you to have visited. We are, it seems, on the brink of war..."  
  
"With the angels?" Wufei said, his curiosity getting the better of him.  
  
Trieze chuckled. "I see my sister has taken the liberty of giving you a history lesson of our land."  
  
"Yes, she did..." said Wufei, and as he glanced at Meiran, he noted the slightest blush on her cheeks.  
  
"He was a captive audience, after all," she said in her defense.  
  
Treize nodded. "Of course," he said. And then, turning to Meiran, "The ambassadors from Prince Zechs have arrived. We'll be meeting with them within the hour."  
  
Meiran's face screwed up, but she did not protest. "Very well," she said with a resigned sigh.  
  
"Duo can stay with Wufei," offered Meiran with a glance at the long-haired boy as he stood silently in the doorway.  
  
"Absolutely not," Treize said sharply. "Duo will accompany you."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Wufei may come with us. Or he is free to look around the castle, whichever he prefers."  
  
"Uh... I think I'll stay with you..." said Wufei.  
  
Meiran nodded. "Wufei, if you don't mind, I'd like to speak with Treize for a moment. Privately."  
  
"Oh, uh... sure. I'll be right outside." With that, Wufei exited, closing the door behind him.  
  
Back inside the library, Meiran gestured vaguely at Duo. "You, too," she said. "Get going."  
  
Duo, his expression unchanging, left in silence. Joining Wufei in standing just beyond the door, Duo remained as stoic as ever.  
  
Meanwhile, on the other side of the door...  
  
"Now, what is this all about?" asked Treize.  
  
"Why do I need Duo with me?" Meiran asked. "I mean, I'm almost 15; I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself."  
  
"That's just it," Trieze countered, never losing his cool. "You *are* almost 15. And truth be told, my dear, we just don't know what's going to happen when you take wing. If the angelic part of you is dominant, Zechs will claim that you belong in his domain. I think we both know that's something you don't want."  
  
Meiran nodded, a small sneer of disgust marring her typically pretty face.  
  
"I'd prefer to have someone competant keep an eye on - and, if need be, protect - you until you're fully-fledged. Surely you understand my concerns."  
  
Meiran nodded again. "Alright, alright," she said.  
  
A knock on the door interrupted the conversation.  
  
"Come in," said Trieze.  
  
Nanashi entered, and bowed deeply. "Your Excellency, Your Ladyship, the ambassadors are ready to meet," he reported when he was once again upright.  
  
"We'll be there momentarilly," said Trieze, noting Wufei and Duo behind Nanashi. 


End file.
